No sooner than the 2004-05 season ended, speculation about next season has begun.

Expectations are even higher for the class led by Mo Ager and Paul Davis than they were for Kelvin Torbert, Alan Anderson and company. After all, the three top tourney scorers are expected back, Tom Izzo has done his best to squelch persistent rumors of his immanent departure for the pros, and there’s a fine crop of red-shirted inside players waiting to bang the boards like the Spartans of old. The longevity of Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina not withstanding, the MSU program has arrived.

The MSU program is recognized as standing among the elite of the college basketball world. Izzo set the bar himself. Elite programs don’t celebrate and hang banners for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight finishes.

So next year it’s Conference Crown, Big 10 Tourney title, Final Four Izzo and the kids are a bust. Izzo has likened getting through this season to a root canal. The hyper-critical media, talk-radio callers and Internet chat fans made it impossible for the MSU family to fully enjoy the incredible ride provided by one hell of a great bunch of kids.

It’s time to re-evaluate. It’s time to remember that the real joy of college sports is in the competition.

Sure, championships are the prize, at least for the competitors. But for the observers, the media, the fans, isn’t it really the competition we go to see?

For the observers, isn’t it enough to see our kids playing well and competing for championships – having a real chance to win - and wining their fair share.

This group of seniors and their teammates gave us that. They were entertaining. They played well, and they competed for championships.

I’ll never forget Chris Hill pouring in three-pointers over that Syracuse zone in the 76-75 loss to Syracuse in 02-03, or Torbert’s too late alley-oop slam when Wisconsin snapped the Breslin win streak. They were losses, and as a 50 year Spartan fan they hurt. But they were great entertainment.

And isn’t that why we’re sports fans?